1:72 Bf 109G-6 camo mask for Bartels wing

Bf 109G-6 - a camouflage mask for the Bartels wing 1:72 (Omask)

A set of cut masking stencils from the Omask brand in 1:72 scale, which lets you spray the camouflage on the upper surface of the wing exactly as the real machine had it. According to the manufacturer the set contains the fields for spraying the camouflage pattern on the wing, masks of the national crosses, kabuki tape masks for the wavy line (the broken-up boundary between the colors) and masks of the walkways; the material is Oramask 810 vinyl masking film and kabuki tape. It is NOT a kit — you have to have your own model of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 in 1:72.

What the Bartels wing is

Heinrich Bartels (1918-1944) was a German fighter ace who is usually credited with 99 victories; a holder of the Knight's Cross, he was killed on 23 December 1944. In 1943 he flew with 11./JG 27 in the Mediterranean on a Bf 109G-6 with a red thirteen, and it was his machine that became famous for an absolutely unmistakable camouflage pattern on the wing — the boundary between the camouflage colors on the upper surface was not formed by a smooth line, but by a pronounced, broken-up wavy line. That pattern has become established among modelers as the Bartels wing, and it is today one of the most frequently cited camouflage schemes in the whole history of the Bf 109.

Why a mask and not a decal

Camouflage is sprayed, not applied as a decal — on the large surface of a wing a decal would create a glossy film and an edge that cannot be hidden. But this irregular pattern is exceptionally hard to mask by hand: the wing is a large, clearly visible surface and every deviation shows on it — and if you cut one half from tape differently from the other, the model is irretrievably off. The mask gives exactly the shape the real aircraft had, sharply and repeatably on both halves. It is therefore a product for the modeler who wants to build a particular historical machine, not a generic Bf 109.

How to work with the mask

• The surface has to be perfectly clean and degreased — the film will not hold on a greasy finish and the sprayed paint will creep under the edge.
• Work from the lighter shade to the darker one and spray thinly — a thick coat will be pushed under the edge of the mask.
• Lift the stencils off while the paint is fresh. Once it has cured completely there is a risk of the mask pulling the paint off along with the surface underneath.
• Do not pull the film over the leading or the trailing edge — bent, it will lift and the boundary will blur.
• The mask is tied to a particular kit — on another model of the Bf 109G-6 in 1:72 it need not fit (see the FAQ).

Who the set is for

• Modelers who want to build precisely Bartels's Bf 109G-6, not a generic Bf 109.
• Those who do not dare attempt a complex pattern with a brush and tape, and who want the result on the first try.
• Anyone interested in the Luftwaffe and JG 27 who cares about historical fidelity of detail.

It is not a model of an aircraft — the package contains masking stencils only. The kit, paints and glue are not included.